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Producer: “Just look into the camera and give us your name.”Brooks KoepkaProducer: Let’s turn the clock ahead, five or ten years, where do you see yourself?Koepka,Brooks…a winner on the PGA Tour…get a major, uh five to ten years that would be nice, get a couple of them…hopefully uh during that timeline rack up some wins…but you never know what could happen.{ANIMATION} “PGA TOUR Profiles: Brooks Koepka, Almost Famous”Producer: When you see that, you kind of called your shot there, what do you think about when you see that?Koepka SOT…That it's funny, looking back When I had no idea what I was doing my hair…EVEN BEFORE HE WAS A ROOKIE ON THE PGA TOUR, BAD HAIR OR NOT, BROOKS KOEPKA MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD HAVE GUESSED WHAT TURN HIS CAREER AND LIFE WOULD HAVE TAKEN.Koepka “…you always got to have belief in yourself. And I think it's one thing I've always had is the ability to always believe in yourself… I actually think I've under achieved. I will put it the other way, I feel like very easily it could have been six majors and there's a lot of second places in there so You can only imagine. Probably 12 to 14 wins.TO UNDERSTAND BROOKS’ UNWAVERING MINDSET, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING…AND HIS UNLIKELY JOURNEY TO THE PGA TOUR.White,Donna So we're at Ocheeheelee Golf Course and this is the first municipal facility that Palm Beach County invested in…… I started the Junior Golf Foundation and our mission was to provide affordable golf programing and tournaments and stuff for the youth families in South Florida…I still remember it was either Bob was dropping them off or Denise was dropping them off at 8 o'clock on their way to work and this was their home from hours upon hours…[00:03:48] Brooks: it was just me and my brother and that was kind of how it always was every summer. For two months, they're, you know, dropping us off early in the morning and picking us up late at night.I wish you could do it today. IN THE GOLF OPULENCE THAT IS SOUTH FLORIDA, OKEEHEELEE GOLF COURSE WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE. THE LOCAL MUNI WITH NONE OF THE PRESTIGE OR FLASH OF THE PRIVATE COURSES THAT SURROUND IT.AND FOR A YOUNG BROOKS KOEPKA, THE PERFECT SCENARIO TO GIVE HIM HIS EDGE.Brooks Koepka: …I never got anything handed to me, I never had anything given. Grew up, everything always seemed to be very hard, whatever it was. I couldn't go play golf tournaments, we didn't have enough money, couldn't afford basically a coach, couldn't do these things.White, Donna… golf was a happy place for him. He found a haven of friends and those that might have been better than him at that time but he became motivated at that time to excel… KOEPKA WAS NEVER A STANDOUT JUNIOR PLAYER. IN FACT, HE RARELY WON.BUT THE NOW FAMOUS KOEPKA SWAGGER WAS SLOWLY FORMING, DESPITE HIS LACK OF TROPHIES.Denise Jakows: …People we're always in awe of his swing and his ability and his power and his swing speed But when he was younger, he never was the kid who was winning every tournament. …He was the kid who always came in 10th, or 5th, or 3rd. I had a lot of second place trophies in the house.Bottke,Warren… He wasn't your average kid, he had an incredible work ethic, he was always hitting balls, always wanting to play golf. he had the shy kind of demeanor where you were around him, you were just still wondering is this guy really listening… but he was. He was taking notes in his mind and processing what you were telling him.Brooks Koepka: … I wasn’t the it kid, I wasn't the best. And when you're not that, I guess you really wanna win, you always wannna be something you can't be, right? LET’S PAUSE THE STORY FOR A SECOND.TAKE A BREATH.BECAUSE THERE’S SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO BE INTRODUCED WHO UNKNOWINGLY HAD A HUGE INFLUENCE ON BROOKS’ CAREER.{Producer question…What does the name Kenny Leech mean to you?}[00:05:08] Brooks Koepka: .. He kicked my butt for the longest time until I was probably about, until we got to maybe college, I'd say for a solid 10 years he was doing some hurt on me…handed it to me pretty much every time.Leech,Kenny… I tried to win everything. ..we both had the same thoughts, it was just I was kind of succeeding a little bit more than he was… He wasn't like, oh man I can never beat this guy. He was not that guy…for Brooks I think it was good in how he took it and perceived, I’d say with Brooks it might have helped him…maybe, maybe…who knows?Bob Koepka: … …we were driving home after one of the early matches. And he splurt it out from the backseat that in about four years, he was gonna drop out of school in the 10th grade and turn pro… he always went through life with one option. And that was to be a professional golfer. And I always told him I said, it's hard going through life with only one option…And he said, dad, I can't have an option B. Cuz if I have an option B, I won't work hard enough and achieve what I want. And his sole focus was to be on the PGA Tour, and he did it.SOON, BROOKS WOULD BEGIN TO MATCH THE LEVEL OF HIS GAME TO HIS YOUTHFUL CONFIDENCE.HE WAS A 4-TIME ALL AMERICAN AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY WINNING 3-TIMES HIS SENIOR SEASON.HE WOULD TURN PRO IN 2012 AND FOUND HIS WAY TO THE CHALLENGE TOUR IN EUROPE.YET ANOTHER UNCONVENTIONAL TURN ON HIS PATH TO GREATNESS.Brooks Koepka: … it was a real growing experience for me to kind of figure out who I was… traveling Europe got to grow as a person, see all these places you read about in history books…“I see these Tuk tuks and always wanted to take a ride in them, so we got one, going to take a ride and see how it is and risk our lives here in traffic.”Brooks: it's different when you're all on your own. I didn't know anybody, didn't speak any of these languages from the countries we were going to, I had to figure it out kind of on the fly. “this is crazy…this is unbelievable.”Bob Koepka: …He was there by himself, he had nothing but golf. So he just kinda soaked it in, and I think it matured him very quickly. He learned how to travel and be in strange places, and be uncomfortable and be okay with being uncomfortable.Denise Jakows:… it's was a struggle, but it wasn't going to be negative, unless he allowed those, off course influences to work negatively in his mind and he found a way through that. In the end, I think going and traveling around Europe was a great thing for him. Brooks Koepka: …that's not the ideal situation when you think you're a lot better than you are, or when you know deep down. And you go over there, you battle for two years and two and a half years, and then come over here. And it's everything was earned, which I kind of like.HE WOULD WIN 3 TIMES ON THE EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR IN 2013 AND ADD A EUROPEAN TOUR WIN AND ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS IN 2014.KOEPKA ALSO EARNING ENOUGH FEDEXCUP POINTS AS A NON-PGA TOUR MEMBER TO GET HIS CARD FOR THE 2014-15 PGA TOUR SEASON.HIS TRANSITION WAS ALMOST COMPLETE. THE SCRAWNY MUNI KID WAS NOW A WORLD TRAVELING, WINNER ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.THE NEXT STEP WAS OBVIOUS AND KOEPKA KNEW WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO TO HELP GET HIM THERE.{good…Load and explode…three, all the way down, two, come on, one more…good work, alright.”Bottke,Warren... He was like a number two pencil when I known him. He was very skinny, very thin…{good…nice”}…but he had a lot of fast club head speed. And I thought jeez if we get any meat on you and you get a little bulk, I think you can really hit this ball pretty far…And then all of sudden I really feel like he matured and grew into his body even more and that's why the size came from.{push it push it, all the way through”Denise Jakows: …he was never anything big or brawny or outrageous. But now when he walks, and I stand in the crowd, And you hear people making these comments. Look at how big he is, look at the way he looks. He just doesn't look like my dad's kind of golfers. HIS SIZE AND STATURE IN THE GAME CONTINUED TO GROW. FIRST A WIN AT THE 2015 WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN…{and welcome to the winner’s circle Brooks Koepka…and dare I say, with many more to come”}FOLLOWED BY ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC STRETCHES IN GOLF HISTORY.HE WOULD WIN 6 MORE TIMES IN JUST UNDER 3-YEARS;{because he’s the best in the game…}INLCUDING BACK TO BACK U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2017 AND 2018 AND BACK TO BACK PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2018 AND 19.“Brooks…its an incredible journey, I don’t even think I dreamed of.”Jack Nicklaus: I’ve got a little something for you…how are you? Thank you very much…Congratulations…this is too heavy for me, let me give this to you…thank you very much.”{This man that is physically, technically, and mentally stronger than we witnessed for a long time.”}Schauffele,Xander… touches up in this zone of his and is unfazed…he game, he’s really strong, hits it long off the tee, at the end of the day, he gets the ball in the hole…he's sort of walks through the fire.Woodland,Gary…he literally has the mentality that he wants to step on your throat, he doesn't care, and that's a huge deal. Finau,Tony… He's got a certain swag to him and a certain confidence when you watch him play, he's very confidence when he plays and steps over a golf ball. Snedeker,Brandt… he's kinda built perfectly to be a dominant golfer. Hits it long, no weaknesses, and not scared. That's pretty ideal when you only start pulling up wanting to be one of the best in the game.THE BOY WITH SO MUCH UNTAPPED POTENTIAL, FINALLY FULFULLING IT.THE ONCE SHY JUNIOR, NOW AN OUTSPOKEN ALPHA.THE KID WITH THE 2ND PLACE TROPHIES… ON TOP OF THE GOLFING WORLD.THERE ARE MANY PATHS TO GREATNESS.Brooks Koepka: … I've always had to work for everything. So that's I take enjoyment out of that is proving people wrong. It's been fun. It's been a fun ride for sure.Bottke,Warren…what's so great about Brooks is he knows where he came from. And he had just the right formula. And the right formula of right work, tenacity, and a mental toughness, and those three was perfect cocktail for him to do what he's done.Bob Koepka: … I think he is matured a lot and he understands where he is at and he's able to zero in and focus on the task at hand and I think he represents the game the right way.Leech,Kenny… when you look at a friend excel at that level and know that you had some bit of something in their life, you had some role that's really special… it was cool to be in the first stages of that you know, it's part of the roots, which is really cool.Denise Jakows: … A lot of what moves him is, you can't teach it, it's not something you can learn. It's almost like an innate quality that just had to blossom. he's a great kid. He's a great kid. He's my little booboo [LAUGH] Always will be [LAUGH]ASK HIM NOW WHERE HE SEES HIMSELF IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS?[00:12:24] Brooks Koepka: … ten majors, 25 wins, something like that.DON’T BET AGAINST HIM.01:26:07:0300:00:55:08Bottke,Warren…when you come back from just grass roots, playing muny golf… you really appreciate a little bit of these nice, finer things. And the one thing that I always told I said there's two words you're gonna have to remember, confidence and cocky. And I said a lot of them have the same meaning, I said I want you to be confident but I don't want you to be cocky. And he's so confident that it carries that cocky edge to it. And that's where the chip comes from. It's all misunderstood. It really is in him trying to be that guy.[00:04:41] Brooks Koepka: …it was like a dream. Yeah, I wish you could do it today. And literally, you know, when when I have kids, you know, to have that ability to go out there and just Go play all day long. Good to go have fun and you gotta remember that golf still fun even though we're out here playing for A bunch of different things for, to win a tournament, money, whatever you want to think of, you just got to go back to that. I guess mentality when you were a little kid, that this is a fun game and we got to go out and enjoy it. [01:20:53] Denise Jakows: Brooks as a youngster was really focused on golf a lot. Not so much on school. He needed a lot of prodding and pushing and shoving to get homework done, to listen in class, to worry about academics. He just wasn't interested. Because his response always was, I'm going to play golf mom... But at one point, I was just exasperated at the lack of academics in his brain. And I said, Brooks If you just listen to the teacher by osmosis, you should learn one or two facts that you could use on a test at some point. And he said, I'm not listening to the teacher. And I said, what in the world are you doing in the classroom then? And he said, I'm imagining ball flights, I'm imagining all day long, how to move a ball in the air. And I was stunned. I was speechless when he said that because it was at that point that I thought, wow, this is chronic. [LAUGH] He can't help himself at this point. He's destined.[00:09:46] Brooks Koepka: Yeah, I think so, I think one of the big things was my quote, I think it was at the British where I said, I don't practice and at that time for that year I couldn't. I have my wrist injury. I couldn't actually practice, it was painful. But yeah, I practice. I promise you I work hard when I can, when I'm not physically incapable. I'm out there all day, every day practicing trying to figure it out, especially right now struggling a little bit and it's been a lot of hours.So, basically come back home on the couch and just pass right out. There's nothing, there's no energy that hasn't been spent.[00:10:53] Brooks Koepka: …I'll pick out little things whether it be playing with a guy or Being paired with a guy for the week or the first two days or whatever it might be. And you don't want to say just kind of, you just want to show out. I guess that's the right way to put it. And just show him what you're made of show him what you got. And I think it's important sometimes to create those little. Matches that go on in my head. Whether it be I love it when somebody tells me I can't do something I just got told that the other day that one of my coaches that I'm not sure if I'll ever want again just to kind of hurt me a little bit and you know I enjoy proving them wrong. I want somebody that's honest and not going to sit there and be yes guy I want someone to tell me like it is and and really challenged me. I enjoy that.01:06:59:2100:01:47:19White,Donna… Brooks can tell you the friends he made here and hung out with during the summers …there were several people in his group that kept him motivated and that also pushed him to be better when he would finish second or third… 01:08:47:1200:02:34:16White,Donna…Brooks wasn't highly recruited but I always believed more in the students than they did and particularly for them in those days because going to college to me and getting a scholarship for those kids was critical. I knew they couldn't afford to play AJGA and that time Brooks I know if you looked at his resume, a lot of those kids in that generation were like me growing up. My parents were working two jobs. AJGA events were very expensive… He was always number 2 and he was always--he was a late bloomer he calls it. I mean you can see pictures of him when he was 12 13 he wasn't that big a kid…01:11:21:2800:01:11:20White,Donna…I would consider him and he would consider himself a late bloomer, he would always finish second or third… and even physically he didn't even develop much until-- I remember seeing him, he had really committed to fitness and training even then in high school and he started to fill out a little bit, he was even committed to his training then in high school. 01:16:11:0900:02:19:11White,Donna…There is no pattern that suits every single one and luckily I think the biggest thing behind Brooks was that he had parents both Bob and Denise that gave him opportunity and did listen to him and give opportunity for tournaments. They sacrificed a lot at that time. You know life was difficult and changes were being made and both of them--I give credit to both of them. They did the best they could. 01:22:09:2400:00:38:19Bottke,Warren…And then he had that quiet mental approach where he was really tough as nails, but he really didn't come out and show. But there was no quit in him at all.01:23:52:1300:00:31:12Bottke,Warren…I mean did I think he would win four majors before age 30, probably not. I knew he'd win a major or two, I really felt like he could be a PGA TOUR winner with his tenacity, with his mental toughness, with his work ethic. But I really didn't think he was gonna go this quickly.01:27:02:1300:01:20:25Bottke,Warren…Well I always thought I was something in his life. And I just felt like I was his coach, I had some meaning in his life. But I never knew the level that it was. And it wasn't until he won the U.S. Open and he was in doing a photo shoot with Golf Digest and I said hey look I gotta go teach some more lessons I'll see ya. And I walked out and he said to me hey wait a minute, come here a second. And he hugged me and says I love you coach. And for him as a kid to say that to me was huge, and I just melted because I really didn't know that. And then Ricky Elliot his caddie two or three times texted me and said this boy loves you. You don't know what this boy says to me about you and what you are to him. And then in three or four different interviews throughout his career he's mentioned me as his second dad and it was like, I'm really not worthy of that, that's not what I wanted to be. But I have an impact on you and I like our relationship and I'm so grateful that he still keeps me in his camp.01:33:56:0400:01:14:18Bottke,Warren…in the PGA Championship last year, he was in a TV interview and they said what are you working on. And he said the only thing I work on is PGA. Posture, grip, and alignment. That's what my coach taught me. It's a fundamentals of my golf swing, 80% of my swing gonna stem from that. If I set up to the ball, hold the club correctly, and aim correctly, I'm not gonna have too many problems…He's not very technical. He always wanted to be a feel player and I always taught him to be a feel player, and that's the reason why he does what he does. He doesn't tinker with a lot of equipment, he doesn't tinker with his numbers and anything like that. So that's the reason why I think he's a consistent player.01:35:38:2700:00:54:04Bottke,Warren…some of the times that we talked and maturity of it, I said there's gonna be times you're gonna feel uncomfortable. I'm just gonna try to make you feel comfortable with the uncomfortable. And that's where now he feels so comfortable. He was intimated and nervous when he played with Tiger in the PGA Championship in 2013, and it was a learning curve for him because he was in awe watching Tiger. I think he shot 77. But what a great opportunity was it. And then fast forward five years he's in the final group, or next to the final group with Tiger, going head to head with him and he didn't even look back. He heard people cheering, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, and he said it just fueled my fire even more.01:37:26:0000:01:02:00Bottke,Warren…I think it's a perfect storm. I mean like it's a dream come true. It's one of those things you wake up and you go did that really happen. And many times I pinch myself, I'm sure he does as well, and go wow, did this really happen over the years of what we've done together and where he is today. It's just remarkable. And it's just such a pleasant time because of the fact that I know he appreciates it and he shows the gratitude and that's what is even sweeter than all the other stuff.01:38:28:0000:00:14:03Bottke,Warren…Not many people know the real Brooks and know his heart and he's really a genuine guy.01:53:27:2000:03:02:09Leech,Kenny…He was in an environment where he was being pushed. I think that's what he wants everyday. That's why he gets up for the majors. He knows that all those elements out there are going to push him…He had an edge and he had this anger, but he channeled it into something special for him. He still has got it and he's gonna have it until he's done competing.01:56:29:2900:01:05:04Leech,Kenny (LAUGHS) Yeah that would be cool. Honestly, you know what, I don't know if he is or not, but on my part, it would be really special if he is actually thinking I gotta beat Kenny Leech on the last round. I doubt he's thinking it, there's no way but it would be really cool. But I bet you it's a similar emotion. I will say that, it's a similar emotion that he felt then, he's probably feeling on the last day on Sunday. If he should up...cuz I mean I think it's, when he was doing that video, he said like I hadn't beat him in like 40 times or something. I bet you on that 40th time, that 41st round when he finally beat me, he approached it like he does a Sunday at a major. I bet you he does. That's how he is. He just wants to beat you. He just wants to kick your nose in. That's his attitude, so.[01:00:58] Bob Koepka: Very serious kid growing up, he never liked to play with toys. Matter of fact, he used to like to play with the dog's racquetball, a racquetball the dog played with. He just always wanted a ball, and had some really good athletic tendencies when he was young. I mean, he wasn't barely walking and I got him a little basketball set for Christmas and was putting it up. And the next thing I know, he's got the ball over his head and he's thrown through the hoop like it was nothing.[01:03:26] Bob Koepka:…I got him started with the game, I just had him some cut-down clubs and I got him hitting in the right direction. And then turned it over to Warren Bottke to kind of fine tune things.[01:07:08] Bob Koepka … when I got him into golf it was more so we could get together after work on a weekend and maybe play. I saw he had potential, but he was never like the top player, he never won a Florida Junior Tour event. And when colleges started looking at him, I'm like, well, at least he can extend his career through college. And if he can get on and become a pro, that'd be great. But I think when he won the high school state championship, that kind of started sending messages that he was good enough to go be a good college player.[01:07:54] Bob Koepka:…… he's always been very determined to be on tour. I mean, he said that from an early age when he was in sixth grade and thought he would turn pro. So I think just seeing what the potential was out there, and seeing what other guys were doing, and he just had the passion and drive.[01:10:20] Bob Koepka: …there's been a lot of times where he wasn't shown on TV. And he'd be up near the leaderboard. And they'd be showing a guy knocking in a six inch putt that was five shots out of the lead and he's two shots but so he felt that and he used that as motivation. I mean, it's always been a situation when he was younger. I used to always figure out ways to try and motivate them and tell them to put a little chip on your shoulder and he wasn't recruited by a certain college and yet the coach kept looking. And I said, just put that little chip on the shoulder and every time you play them just go beat him. At some point, they've gotta acknowledge that they made a mistake in not recruiting you.[01:14:37] bob Koepka:I don't know that you can teach it. I think it's just something that you have. I mean, used to always try and put him in situations when he was a kid of hey, you got to make this four footer so you don't have to do dishes tonight. Things like that. Always just challenge him to try and make himself better and I just think It's just something that he has.[01:22:24 Denise Jakows…I think his sticktoitiveness, his concentration abilities, his never say die. Even in the face of mountains, he'll climb over them and look for success. And so, I think those are some of his some of the qualities that he uses both on and off the golf course. [01:30:01] Denise Jakows: His brand. I think his brand, I think what he wants to achieve is, he wants to be identified as a global athlete. Not just a good golfer. I think he wants to be grouped among the best of the best in different sports around the world. And I think he puts in the time and the energy to be taken seriously like that.[01:31:28] Denise Jakows:…there's not a lot of frills, what you see is what you get. There's not a lot of pretense. He is what he is, off the course, on the course, any place in between. It's going to be the same. ................
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